Drowning Ruth

Rating:
Summary: Ultimately a disappointment
Review: Christina Schwarz is obviously a gifted writer. Her lucid prose delivered the sounds, taste, and smells of that farm on the water right to my senses. Not many writers have that magic touch. Unfortunately, such beautiful writing led to a terribly disappointing and anti-climatic ending. It was almost like the author suddenly realised that she needed to come up with an ending and couldn't quite figure out what to do. Or maybe she just got tired and "stopped." The other minor problem was with the throwaway storyline involving Clement Owens. But it is the ending that caused the biggest disappointment in this otherwise lovely book.

Rating:
Summary: Great thriller!
Review: I really enjoyed this story. The author pulls you into the lives of Aunt Mandy, you can't help loving and disliking her at the same time. Ruth is the main character, the story takes you through her childhood friendships and her revelation of what happened the night she almost drowned. I could not put it down once I started.

Rating:
Summary: Starts well, then sputters to an unsatisfying end
Review: I picked up Drowning Ruth hoping for an interesting and involving 'vacation read'. The first half of the book was just that -- I couldn't put it down. However, as the book evolved, it became merely predictable and tedious. I had figured out the ending long before I arrived there. And like guests who had stayed too long, I was tired of the characters long before I reached the end of the book. There is a delicate balance between presenting flawed people who we, as equally flawed people, can relate to, and presenting flawed characters whose flaws just become grating and irritating. Every single character in this book is ultimately revealed to be terminally stupid. With the exception of the title character, their pain is essentially of their own making, and therefore the reader has no reason to feel sympathy for them. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this book is that the first half does draw you in, but the ending is so ultimately unsatisfying... this book needed a good dose of literary Viagra to have arrived at a more satisfying ending.

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading
Review: I haven't read a book to just read a good story in a long time. This really suprised me. It draws you in until the end. I love the way it is written and how descriptive it is. I will say I was just a tiny tiny bit disappointed with the end, but that is just because it wasn't "my" ending. I truly enjoyed this story, and will read it again someday.

Rating:
Summary: Technically lacking
Review: It is an engaging enough story that kept me turning the pages right through to the end, however...
The author uses contrivances to keep you hooked instead of focusing on good writing. The most obvious example is found in the very reason you keep turning the pages. Schwarz dangles the inevitable ending in front of the reader from the very beginning, but pulls it away for 339 pages using two of the cheapest shortcuts available: flashbacks and swapping points of view over and over and over again.
Beyond the shortcuts taken to develop the plot, the language used to tell the story is alternatingly stiff and flowery, reminiscent of a junior high creative writing assignment. To make matters worse, at times it's as though the author reached for the thesaurus and chose the first "SAT" word she could find when a simpler one would have sufficed (e.g., the use of the word "miasma" to describe the smell of stagnant water).
One is also left to question the manner in which truly significant characters are conveniently disposed of (e.g., Carl and Clement Owens, the latter of whose disappearance from the story and the manner in which he disappeared should have created a much bigger plot twist than it did), and why certain other characters are introduced to begin with.
Finally, with all of the technical distractions associated with this book, I was never able to make a connection, love or hate, with any of the characters.
Nevertheless, if you're the type who can overlook technical flaws and enjoy being taken on a very descriptive ride to a predictable destination, you will love this book. I'm just hoping Ms. Schwarz' sophomore attempt will ride a little smoother.

Rating:
Summary: Drowning Ruth
Review: Suspense, love, hate all rolled into one. This is a book that is hard to put down. Many twists and turns of emotion. A must read.

Rating:
Summary: Twists and turns reveal an unexpected mystery...
Review: How did Ruth drown if she's still alive? Did Amanda kill Mattie? And what about Clement Owens? Who is Imogene's real mother? The book starts slow and steadily gathers speed. By the last pages you won't be able to do anything until you see how it ends.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic quick-read!
Review: Drowning Ruth was a somewhat predictable book, however, a fantastic read nonetheless. I found myself unable to put the book down until it was finished. The storyline is definitely unique as it centers around Amanda who's lifetime of sacrifice, guilt, and shame leads ultimately to a horrific deception that affects the lives of those whom she loves most. As the story evolves it is not difficult to predict the end, however, I was disappointed that one of the seemingly most important characters never reaches a full resolution and is not honored with the truth. This book brings to light at most, just how critical it is to be honest at all costs and how a lie, whether how big or small can absolutely devastate a person. I look forward to future novels by Christina Schwarz.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read!
Review: I guess I am a little low but I did not know in the first third of the book what was going to happen like some reviewers- the entire mystery surrounding the night of Mattie's death pushed me through the whole book. I loved this book- I picked it up on a whim because it was an Oprah book and I had never tried one of her "picks" before. I am glad I did.

Rating:
Summary: Predictable, slow moving.
Review: I found this book to be completely predictable. I guessed what was going to happen in the first third of the book. I forced myself to read further hoping for excitement, a twist, something. Unfortunately nothing.